Couples Advice with Karsten Erdman and Rachel Buoye

The minute Rachel Buoye, a sophomore from Rochester, New York, set eyes on Karsten Erdman, a sophomore from St. Louis, she knew he was different. They met in August 2010 in a mutual friend’s dorm room in Templin Hall. “I knew right off the bat that he was a good guy. I didn’t date in high school, but I was attracted to him right away, which was different,” Rachel says. Buoye and Erdman hung out for about a month when she started wondering why he hadn’t asked her out yet. Finally, after a mutual friend asked if they were dating, he made the move, and they have been dating ever since. After almost a year and a half together, the couple knows the key to happiness is not taking each other for granted, even when things get stressful.

Dating Tip: Don’t take each other for granted, especially when things get busy and stressful. Learn to appreciate the little things that you do for each other.

It’s all about the little things for Rachel and Karsten. Karsten, an architecture major, frequently spends long nights in the studio, and

Rachel always makes sure to bring him something warm to eat. “I worry about him,” Rachel says, “so I cook for him a lot.” Appreciating each other is what keeps the two from fighting, and despite being busy, they always make time for each other. Rachel says cherishing the little things and not taking things to seriously is the key to their success. “We make each other laugh and smile every day.” It’s also important to keep your significant other a priority, no matter how busy you get. “Every night, even if we haven’t talked much during the day, we’ll say ‘goodnight, I love you.’”

• Updated Jan. 25, 2012 at 4:29 pm